A lot of radios are made today to use an electret microphone which has a higher output than common dynamic capsules and may require a preamp to comfortably obtain sufficient audio.

This article describes a microphone + preamp intended as a drop in replacement for an electret capsule.

An electret capsule contains an integral FET preamplifier, and the common two terminal version of the capsule depends on an external load resistor (commonly around 4.7kΩ and source of supply current (commonly from 6-12V via the load resistor.

Hams impoverished for space to erect a ‘full size’ antenna for HF pursue a range of options and end fed wires figure highly.

New hams who heard the maxim that ‘any antenna is better than no antenna at all’ will try to use bed frames, window frames, balcony railings, anything metallic to get on air. This cry for mediocrity is to prevail over a quest for understanding, ham radio as it has evolved.

The ‘net abounds with conflicting advice:

(Yates 2010) recommends a T50-2 powdered iron core;

(VK2AVR 2014) states do not use a powdered iron toroid.. they won’t work.

I have been investigating ‘lost APRS packets’, a result of many root causes.

One is a perception that when I drive in the local area, I often do not hear my own digi ‘echo’ yet I find that it did receive a packet and submit it to APRS-IS. This problem is much more apparent using a TNC-X that with any other KISS TNC in its place. Continue reading TNC-X – channel access behaviour

An APRS iGate necessitates some form of computer in the centre of the configuration.

Over recent weeks, I have evaluated a number of configurations for VHF based on Windows and Linux (RPi) to assess their reliability, though it is doubtful that a configuration to rival UIDIGI reliability and availability is likely. Continue reading Towards a reliable APRS iGate